Italy vs Albania: Euro 2024 - LIVE!
Italy is starting their Euro 2024 campaign by facing Albania, in an attempt to defend their European crown. This is three years after their triumphant penalty shootout victory over England in the final at Wembley. Despite their recent glory, it appears the Azzurri are not receiving as much attention as they probably deserve in Germany. This could partly be attributed to their challenging group stage, as they find themselves pitted against Spain and Croatia - commonly referred to as the 'Group of Death'. Nonetheless, Italy remains confident in securing another deep tournament run.
Luciano Spalletti, the ex-Napoli manager, has taken over from Roberto Mancini as the coach of Italy's national football team. However, his tenure has been a blend of successes and setbacks so far. Italy secured their spot in this tournament by edging out Ukraine in a tense goalless draw, thanks to their head-to-head standing. Pre-euro friendly games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey failed to generate any significant excitement.
Albania is back in the Euros for the second time, as they previously exited in the group stage during the 2016 competition. They had a successful qualifying round as they finished on top of their group, beating the likes of the Czech Republic and Poland. Additionally, they only let in four goals over eight matches, which demonstrates a clear indication of their playing style this upcoming summer. To stay updated with the latest action, be sure to keep up with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!
The most recent updates on the Italy versus Albania match Italy and Albania faced off in a competitive match, with many fans watching eagerly. There have been updates on the results of the game, including highlights and commentary on the performance of the teams. Keep up to date with the latest news on this exciting match.
Italy currently has a slight lead at the mid-point.
Their nightmare began right from the start as Dimarco's mistake allowed Bajrami to score a surprising goal for Albania within a mere 23 seconds.
The score has been reversed by Bastoni and Barella, but the game still hangs in the balance, well, at least when it comes to the score. Italy have been in control of the game in every other sense.
Italy Wins 2-1 Against Albania | 45+1' Goal
The initial half of the game will have an additional duration of three minutes.
Italy aims to secure the lead before the end of the first half.
Italy Beats Albania | 44' Goal
Bastoni made a senseless foul on Seferi, wrestling him down, but Albania took the free-kick and it led to nothing.
The team that's ranked 66th in the world made a comeback once more. Asani took the ball and shifted to his left before shooting just above the goal.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In 40 Minutes
Scamacca made a run in between the defenders and quickly shot the ball towards Strakosha. However, the goalkeeper did a good job by maintaining his position and saving the shot.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In 39 Minutes
Albania is facing a tough time trying to snatch the ball away from the Italians. The Italian team is dominating the game, displaying exceptional control that would remind one of Andrea Pirlo's impressive midfield skills in his prime.
Dimarco has made a good recovery from his mistake in the first minute and is now showing his normal ability to cause trouble on the left side.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In Just 35 Minutes
Italy had a wonderful opportunity to score their third goal, but unfortunately they missed by a close margin.
The pass that Scamacca made to Frattesi is very beautiful. Frattesi attempted to loft the ball over Strakosha, the goalkeeper for Brentford, but he was able to make an outstanding stop and prevent a goal from being scored.
Italy Beat Albania 2-1 At 32' Mark
Nicolo Barella scored a fantastic goal for Italy in just 16 minutes, and he was clearly delighted about it.
Barella rejoices after scoring against Albania.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In 30 Minutes
Italian fans showed a lot of appreciation for Di Lorenzo when he successfully blocked Mitaj's clearance, receiving lots of applause.
Italy is surely dominating the game at present. Albania has gone back to using a defensive formation.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In Just 25 Minutes
The pace of the game has finally begun to decrease. It was about time for that to happen!
The beginning of the game at Signal Iduna Park was quite crazy. However, it seems like it happened a while ago that Bajrami scored the first goal for Albania just 23 seconds into the match.
Currently, Italy is in control of the game and holding onto the ball most of the time. They seem to be dominating their opponent.
Italy Beats Albania 2-1 In 22 Minutes
The initial reservation of the night occurred when Pellegrini intentionally brought down Broja from Chelsea as Albania aimed to launch a counter-attack.
